Sub Theme 2: Clearing the Air: Assessing Learning that Matters

Like the heavy, still air before a Highveld storm, the pressure for change in assessment has been building for years. Despite enabling policies, and applied competence – in line with the outcomes-based theoretical framework adopted in the South African context – being the philosophical underpinning of the National Qualifications Framework and the related level descriptors , higher education assessment remains largely unchanged: summative, high-stakes, and often a proxy measure for compliance rather than true capability or workplace readiness. All because it’s easier that way, and it’s the way we’ve always done it. This subtheme asks what assessment would look like if it were deliberately designed for applied competency, not just certification, ranking, or gatekeeping. It challenges us to build assessment ecosystems that are resilient to GenAI disruption, while enabling deeper, more authentic demonstrations by students of their learning.

Provocations:

• If we didn’t insist that our assessments have to produce a grade for a transcript, what would it look like?
• How can we design assessments that are valid, reliable, fair, and responsive to AI?
• What would it take to truly “clear the air” of performative assessment practices?